If I Lay Here
by Misato
Summary: It doesn't happen too often, but every once in a while things just go right. Fluff, title from Snow Patrol. Inspired by a href " Forget The World/a by artmetica.


Sometimes things just went right. Dean lay back in the grass and felt the sun on his face, ireveling/i in the all too rare feeling of being on the winning side for once. The monster was dead, the innocents were saved and no one was even bleeding. Days like that didn't come too often.

Even the shadow falling across him couldn't sour his mood. "Cas. Dude. In my light."

Sometimes Dean could almost hear the head tilt happen. "How did you know it was me?"

"'Cause Sam would have said something instead of standing there and staring." Dean cracked his eyes open; Castiel's face was lost in the shadows. "There a ireason/i you're standing there staring?"

"We couldn't find you after the battle. Sam was wondering when we would leave."

Dean smirked, folding his one arm behind his head. "We'll leave when I'm good and ready. Nothing wrong with me carving out a little alone time."

"Oh." Dean saw him shift his weight. "I'll...go tell him-"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Dude. Shut up." He grabbed the hem of Castiel's coat and yanked him down the ground. "Sit for a while. Relax." Castiel wrapped his arms loosely around his knees, his eyes narrowed as if relaxing was some intricate process he hadn't quite figured out yet. "How're you doing?" Dean asked.

Castiel took a moment before answering. "Adjusting." He rolled his shoulders, shifting around as if he couldn't get comfortable.

It had been five days since Castiel had shown up at their motel door in the middle of the worst thunderstorm in decades and promptly passed out, soaked to his skin and completely human, no explanation offered. Dean expected that story to come out on its own time, probably at the worst possible moment going by their usual luck. If Cas' dreams were anything to go by, whatever'd happened hadn't been much fun. "Cas. I said to irelax/i."

Castiel glanced down at him, then stretched out in the grass, his posture mirroring Dean's. He shifted around some more but Dean knew the problem wasn't the position, it was his own skin he still wasn't comfortable in yet. Dean moved his arm, Cas shifted again, and almost like they hadn't meant it Cas' head wound up resting in the crook of Dean's arm. Dean couldn't believe how fast it was all coming back, the talking-without-talking. Dean watched as his eyes blinked closed twice, then felt him jerk back awake. "Cas. You've gotta get the hang of sleeping."

"I don't want to."

Dean sighed and bent his arm, rolling Castiel on top of him with a soft, surprised ioof/i. Cas looked up at Dean, his brow furrowed, and Dean shrugged. "You're fidgeting. It's driving me nuts."

He felt Cas slowly relax, his weight growing welcome and heavy against his chest. "This is pleasant," Castiel said.

Dean had to agree. "Aren't you hot in that coat?"

"I like my coat."

"Fine. Wear the stupid thing. Get heatstroke, see if I care." The tips of Castiel's hair tickled his nose and Dean smoothed them out of the way, hoping to take the sting out of his words.

Castiel sighed, his right hand curled against Dean's chest. "Dean?" he asked, his voice sounding drowsy again.

"Yeah?"

"Why haven't you asked me any questions? About what happened?"

Dean shrugged. "Don't care why you're here, Cas. Just glad you are."

Cas' hand clutched onto his shirt for a moment. "Thank you."

Dean felt Cas' hand twitch he began to fall asleep again and massaged his thumb along the lifeline of Castiel's palm. When Cas murmured something unintelligible Dean just said, "Shh. Just go to sleep."

"I don't like what I see what I sleep."

He stroked his fingertips through Castiel's hair. "C'mon, Cas. Nothing bad can happen today. We're just too awesome."

Castiel let out an amused breath but didn't argue. Gradually his breathing evened out until Dean felt it go slow and deep; he brushed Cas' hair out of the way again and kissed his forehead, careful not to wake him. "See? Told ya."

Dean lay back again, realizing for the first time how good grass could smell. The sun was warm, everyone he loved was safe, there was no job waiting and he had a former angel sound asleep against his chest.

Life, for the first time in a long, long time, was exactly how he wanted it.


End file.
